The third meeting of experts on the Migration Partnership between Sri Lanka and Switzerland was held in Bern on Tuesday (July 29).

Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Director General for Europe and North America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, and Ambassador Hendrick Krauskopf, Director of International Affairs at the State Secretariat for Migration of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police, co-chaired the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the progress made under the Migration Partnership since its launch in 2016 and discussed the future trajectory of the partnership after the formal handover of the bilateral Safe Labour Migration Program (SLMP) to the Government of Sri Lanka last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism said in a statement.

This programme was funded by Switzerland and underscores the commitment to institutionalizing sustainable frameworks for the protection and welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration and maximizing the benefits of migration for both migrant workers and members of their families in both origin and destination countries, the statement added.

In this regard, discussions focused on pre-departure orientation, migration management, skills development, readmission and reintegration, and combating human trafficking. In particular, further Swiss assistance for the skills development of Sri Lankan migrant workers and strengthening collaboration with the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF) were discussed.

The two sides also exchanged views on current migration trends in both countries and opportunities for Sri Lankan workers through the development and recognition of the domestic skills development framework. The Sri Lanka delegation also included representatives from the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, the Department of Immigration and Emigration, as well as the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, it said.

The Switzerland delegation comprised representatives of the State Secretariat for Migration, the Federal Office of Police, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.